A Different Take
by Not Perfect Only Human
Summary: A new kid moves in down the block. What could be so different? Steve/Darren.


**This is just a little one-shot I decided to do. It might be a two shot. I may do more of these in-between writing my other stories... Slowly.**

**As usual, it's Darren and Steve. ;D [AU]**

**A new kid moves in down the block. What's so different about that?**

Most kids looked forward to Saturdays. Me? Oh no, I hated them. They were the worst day of the week by far. You see, Saturday meant I was home all day. Being home all day meant dealing with my mother all day. Let's just say she wasn't the best mom in town. Each Saturday was about the same. They were all the same until the new kid, Steve, moved into town. That's the day when everything changed. It seemed for the better at the time. Down the road, I wasn't too sure.

* * *

I was sitting on my porch, reading a book my school had gave to us as homework. I didn't mind. Reading was a subject I liked. The weather was beautiful today. It was cloudless and the sun was that perfect, body warming temperature that you could just sit in for hours. The wind ruffled my hair slightly as it blew. It was refreshing.

My eyes scanned the pages as I read page after page of _Mythology_ by that Edith fellow. My mind wrapped around every word on each page as I practically flew through the novel. I had always loved reading. It was one thing in my life that I actually enjoyed. It brought a smile to my face. It was one of the only things that did.

I would have gone on contently reading my book for school if an obnoxiously loud duo hadn't come barreling down the street. They rolled down the pavements on seemingly new bikes, each boy just as loud and carefree as the other. One boy had the blondest of hair that was side-swept as he stood on his bike while it rolled away. The other boy was the one who caught my attention.

This boy had the smoothest black hair, the strands falling just above his eyes. His skin was flawless from where I sat. His eyes… Oh his eyes were gorgeous. They were like chocolate had been melted into them. I didn't even realize I was gawking until the boys came to a stop in front of my house.

I instantly looked down at my book again, trying to avoid any form of embarrassment that might follow my reaction.

"Hey." The voice that spoke was somewhat low, but not insanely low. I glanced up to see the chocolate-eyed boy in front of me.

"Oh, uh, hey." I paused for a moment. What in the world was I supposed to say? I've never even seen this guy before in my life. "Are you new around here?"

A soft chuckle left the other boy just before he answered. "Actually, yes. Yes I am. Thank you for noticing. The name is Steve."

Steve. That was an interesting name. Common, yet uncommon at the same time. The corners of my lips twitched into the smallest of smiles as I replied. "Nice to meet you Steve. My name is Darren."

He held out a hand for me to shake in response. "Well it's a pleasure to meet you Darren. I hope to see you around." The smile on his face seemed genuine.

I took his hand and shook it with a firm grasp. We sat in silence for a moment before he dropped my hand and glanced over his shoulder to his waiting bike. The other boy that was with him had long gone down the street. A subtle frown creased Steve's features.

"You alright?" I couldn't help the question. I had to ask. It didn't make sense why he would just be upset all the sudden. To answer my question, he shook his head and then looked at me. "Nothing. I'm just not looking forward to going home." He shrugged it off as if it was nothing.

From experience, I could tell it wasn't really nothing. "Uh-huh. Any particular reason why?" Steve looked conflicted. It was like he didn't know whether or not it would be a good idea to tell me. And then he noticed the smear mark of a bruise across my shoulder and down my bicep.

"What happened to you?" His voice was surprisingly soft when he asked. I simply shrugged it off. "Let's just say, I don't look forward to getting home either. The second the words left my mouth I had to look over my shoulder. My mother would kill me for saying that.

A look came over his face that I couldn't quite make sense of. I ran through the possibilities, but couldn't come up with one that I thought would work well with this face he was making. Maybe it was sympathy? I decided to push it away for now.

"Seems like we have something in common there." He rubbed the back of his neck in a seemingly nervous way as he glanced back down the street. "Well, I guess I should be going. Hopefully I'll get to see you around? I think I'm going to your school now."

I couldn't stop the smile from taking over my lips. Nodding, I watched as he turned to go. It was great to have someone I could actually talk to now. It was only a few minutes later that he was gone. It was all right though. I would see him again.

* * *

I grumbled softly as I entered the school building. It was thirty minutes before the front doors were even supposed to allow kids in. For some reason though, they were never locked. I walked right in and moved myself upstairs to plant myself in a pile of books at the Library. Go ahead and call me a nerd if you wish, but it was what I loved.

My nose was practically shoved in my book while my pen scrawled things along the pages of a notebook beside me. If I didn't finish my homework before class, I was dead. It seemed fair enough to get it done now.

I had practically finished when the bell rang. It was close enough. Satisfied with my work, I gathered up my reading materials, notebook, pen, and book bag before I waddled into the hall and made my way to my first class of the day.

I actually didn't mind Science first thing. It was one of my favorite subjects. The teacher was pretty amazing too. She typically let us do whatever so long as we all passed class work, did homework, and did well on tests.

"Alright class. Today we will be watching Avatar." She tapped her pen lightly on her desk before she bothered continuing.

"We are going to apply scientific theories to the movie and the activities in it." It was obvious by her face that we weren't really. Even so, we all listened to her and acted like we would.

It was only after she put in the movie that I noticed a certain dark haired boy with chocolate brown eyes. A smirk crossed his features as he plopped down next to me.

"Hey, Steve." I laughed under my breath. This day was already off to a great start. He leaned toward me and I could feel our shoulders brush lightly against each other as he whispered something.

"Hey there, Darren. Funny we would have the same first class in the morning." His smirk stayed puts as he glanced at me from the corner of his eye, something in the way he looked I just couldn't decipher.

"Funny indeed." It was a mean less conversation at the time, but what I didn't realize how important it would be in the years to come.

The rest of the day passed by and Steve and I shared World History, Latin III, an English class, and a creative writing class together. I was sort of amazed at how much we had together. Even kids I've known my whole life didn't get more than three classes together per year.

I guess it could be called luck. Or fate. I would settle for either or. I shrugged up my book bag as I walked home, my mind running through the various conversations, laughs, and just plain fun we shared today.

I couldn't keep the smile off my face. It was just one of those things that happened rarely. It left a warm feeling in my stomach. I almost didn't notice an overly pissed looking mother on the porch when I got home. Almost.

"Darren Shan. Care to explain the mess in the kitchen?" Her arms were crossed over her chest as she glared. What was she complaining about now.

A short, exasperated sigh escaped me. It was tiring to hear practically the same thing every minute you were home.

"No mom. I haven't even been home for a minute, so I couldn't have done that." I dropped my book bag next to the front door as always. It made for a quick leave in the morning.

"That's likely." Her voice was dripping with sarcasm and that just pushed me to the edge. I shook my head with a frown as I walked in to find the kitchen that I had just cleaned the day before in a state of disaster.

"Clean it up." She ordered as I inspected the area. I was truly tired of her constantly forcing me to do things when I wasn't even responsible in the first place. It was about time that I finally snapped.

"Mom. I didn't do anything, why should I have to clean it up?" My voice was quiet when I spoke, but the question itself set off my insane mother. In an instant, she had crossed the kitchen, peeled back her hand, and snapped it across my face.

I let out a startled yelp as I gingerly touched my cheek with my fingers, propping myself up off the floor with my free hand. A dull throb echoed throughout my face from the smack. Surprisingly, it just felt numb after a moment. Maybe getting smacked like that one too many times started to give you a slight advantage of not being able to feel it anymore.

"Get up boy!" Her shrill voice rang in my ears. My brow furrowed as my voice rang out against hers. "You know what, mother? I'm sick and tired of your shit. I'm out of here. I doubt you'll care anyway, so fuck you." It came out harsher than I had excepted but I was past the point of caring.

I shoved myself to my feet and stormed past her, my shoulder colliding with hers and sending her off balance. She just caught herself before falling and then she was spluttering, stunned by my reaction. I had never stood up to her before.

* * *

This was just the beginning of what was something I had never planned to get involved in.


End file.
